Suma Bloggers Network – Page 4 – Bit of the Good Stuff

Crunchy Nut Apple Crumble (Vegan / Dairy-free) for Suma Blogger’s Network

Published on October 29, 2014 by Sharon16 Comments

This year we had a bumper crop of fruit on our apple tree. Thanks to the late September sunshine, within the space of two weeks the apples transformed from green and small to red and huge! We must have picked at least a hundred apples so far. And with this amazing bounty, we’ve been able to indulge in lots of delicious apple treats.

For this month’s Suma entry, I thought I’d share one of our all-time favourite Autumnal desserts – Apple Crumble ♥ I’ve lost count of the number of crumbles I’ve made this past month, but it could be getting on for ten!

As well as oats and wholegrain flour, I love to add some pecans and almonds into the crumble, which gives it a delicious crunch. Traditionally, this dessert has a fair amount of cane sugar and dairy butter in it. However, instead of cane sugar, I prefer to use coconut sugar and maple syrup as they add a delicious, caramel-like sweetness and beautiful golden hue to the crumble.

Instead of dairy butter, I use coconut butter (the aroma-free kind) or a non dairy spread. Through Suma, I discovered the Tiana Organic Coconut Cooking Butter and I’m loving it! It’s really versatile and you can use it for all kinds of cooking and baking. I made some scrumptious pasties with it last week. Unfortunately they were devoured before I could take any pics, so I’ll re-create them soon and post the recipe.

BTW, those lidded Pyrex glass dishes are really handy for cooking, storing and transporting the crumbles. I took a couple with me to Essex recently to share with our relatives. Stored in a thermal bag, six hours after I’d baked them they were still warm!

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This healthy twist on the classic Apple Crumble is packed with delicious flavours and crunchy texture. We love to serve it in colourful ramekins, either on its own or with a drizzle of non dairy cream, yogurt or custard. It’s delicious eaten warm or cold. Lil’ L and I actually prefer it cold as the topping firms up in the fridge for extra crunchiness!

Serves 6
Hands on time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ready in: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 kg / 35 oz cooking apples (e.g. Bramleys), peeled, cored and sliced (about 7 medium apples)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
60g / 2 oz / 1/3 cup sultanas
3 TBSP fruit juice (or water)
3 TBSP maple syrup (or agave syrup)

Crumble Topping:
100g / 3½ oz / ¾ cup fine wholemeal (whole wheat) or chapatti flour (use a GF flour mix, if needed)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
60g / 2 oz / 4 TBSP aroma-free coconut butter (e.g. Tiana) or non dairy spread (e.g. Pure)
75g / 2½ oz / ¾ cup rolled oats (use certified GF oats, if needed)
4 TBSP coconut sugar (or unrefined caster sugar)
2 TBSP maple syrup (or agave syrup)
30g / 1 oz / ¼ cup pecans, chopped
40g / 1½ oz / ¼ cup almonds, chopped

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F / Gas 4.

Place the sliced apples, cinnamon, sultanas, juice and syrup in a large saucepan. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes until the apples are soft and fluffy. Taste test and add more sweetener, if needed.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and coconut butter in a food processor and pulse until the butter is fully incorporated. Tip into a bowl and stir in the oats, sugar, syrup and nuts.
Spoon the apples into a 1.5 litre / 1½ quart ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake for 20 minutes or so, until the topping is golden.

Stored in an airtight container, it will last up to a week in the fridge, or for weeks in the freezer.

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Products used in this recipe (UK stockists)
Pyrex Rectangular Lidded Dish, available from Amazon (currently discounted to £3.50)
Magimix Food Processor
Tiana Coconut Cooking Butter, available from Suma, health food shops and online
Biona Organic Coconut Sugar, available from Suma, health food shops and online
Suma Organic Sultanas, available direct from Suma, via Amazon, and independent health food shops (love that they come in recyclable packaging!)
Clarks Original Maple Syrup, available from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons

What’s your favourite fruit crumble? For me, it’s a close call between apple and plum 🙂

Have you made any crumbles this Autumn/Fall? If you’ve posted any recipes, please do share below xx

Sweet Potato, Red Lentil & Coconut Curry

Published on September 18, 2014February 27, 2024 by Sharon14 Comments

For my second submission to the Suma Bloggers Network, I thought I’d share our Sweet Potato, Red Lentil and Coconut Curry. I’ve been making this dish since Lil’ L was a toddler and, to this day, it remains one of his favourite dinners. Every time I make it, his chatter stops and all you hear is ‘mm… mm’ as he woofs it down.

Lil’ L has never really liked white potato (he finds it bland), but he loves sweet potato. With its sweet taste and beautiful orange colour, I bet it’s a hit with a lot of kids.

And another great thing about sweet potato is its nutritional profile. It’s literally packed with antioxidants. Just one medium potato contains 438% of the vitamin A RDA and 37% of the vitamin C RDA. It’s also rich in vitamin B6, manganese, potassium, and a good source of dietary fibre. [Source]

For a protein and iron boost, I add red lentils to this curry which all but disappear into the sauce (perfect for picky kids). I also throw in a couple of handfuls of spinach. With its soft texture and neutral flavour, this has to be one of the most kid-friendly greens.

To keep this curry quick and simple to prepare, I use a ready-made curry paste. Pataks Korma Paste is my favourite as it’s mild enough for kids, and the spice blend is a perfect compliment to the sweet potato and coconut. You can also buy this paste in little ‘travel’ size pots which is really handy for self-catering vacations. (This is what we took on our road trip to France).

For creaminess and a beautiful hint of coconut flavour, I use creamed coconut. I really like this ingredient as it’s 100% coconut, cheap to buy and lasts ages. Here in the UK, Creamed coconut is available from large supermarkets in the UK (on the world food aisle) and health food shops. It’s also available online.

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With its sweet, mildly spiced flavour and soft, creamy texture, this curry is perfect for all the family. It’s quick and easy to prepare, so great for busy week day nights. For a full-blown Indian feast (perfect for weekends and dinner parties), serve with side dishes of rice and chappatis or naan bread, and an entrée of poppadoms, onion bhajis and fresh mango chutney.

Serves 4-5
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1 TBSP oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 500g), scrubbed and cut into bite size chunks (peeling is optional)
2 TBSP curry paste (use mild curry or korma paste for children)
140g / ¾ cup red lentils
750ml / 3 cups hot vegetable stock
1 large tomato, finely chopped (or you can substitute with tomato puree (paste)
50g / ¼ cup creamed coconut, finely chopped
2 handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped

Suggested garnish
Handful each of flaked almonds and sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Method
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan and cook the onion and sweet potato on a medium-low heat for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, place the lentils in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water, agitating with your hand until the water runs clear. Prepare the vegetable stock.

Add the curry paste to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Add a touch of water, if needed, to loosen the mixture. Stir in the lentils until coated in curry paste. Add the stock, tomato and creamed coconut. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. When the potato and lentils are tender, stir in the spinach and continue cooking until it has wilted.

While the curry is simmering, prepare the garnish. Place the flaked almonds and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan (skillet) and cook on a medium heat, stirring continuously. As soon as they start to brown and become fragrant, remove from the heat.

Remove the curry from the heat and leave to rest for a couple of minutes. Taste test and adjust the seasoning to suit. Sprinkle on the garnish and serve.

Any leftover curry can be stored in the fridge for five days or for weeks in the freezer.

TIP
Sometimes the block of creamed coconut can have a layer of coconut oil in it. It’s easy to spot as it’s bright white in colour. In curries, use only the opaque cream-coloured section of the block. The coconut oil can be saved for other recipes.

Notes for serving to young children
For really young children, I would recommend giving their curry a quick blast with a stick (immersion) blender to make a chunky purée. For children that have an aversion to onion or spinach, whizz them in a mini food processor before adding them to the pan (the veggies, not the children!) That way, they’re so small they won’t detect them.

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This curry is so easy to prepare and cheap (it costs literally a few pence per portion). It’s also far healthier and less calorific than take-outs. So, next time you’re craving a curry, head into the kitchen and make your own. In less time than it takes to get a take-out, you’ll be tucking into your own delicious curry and have saved yourself a small fortune. Now that’s my idea of the perfect fast food!

With love,

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Gingerbread Cookies (Dairy-Free / Vegan)

Published on June 26, 2014 by Sharon24 Comments

Today, I am delighted to share my first post for the Suma Blogger’s Network ♥ I’m sure a lot of you will have already heard of Suma or seen their products in your local health food stores. Suma are the UK’s largest independent wholefood wholesalers of vegetarian, vegan, fair trade, natural and organic produce. Suma operates as a workers’ cooperative which means that the business is jointly owned and managed by the staff. Everyone is paid the same and they collectively do all the jobs that need doing, whatever they happen to be.

I love everything that Suma stands for, so when they invited me to become one of the first twelve bloggers in their new network, I was more than delighted to accept! Intrigued to find out who else is involved? Click on this page to check out their profiles (you’ll see I’m in good company!)

Every other month we’ll be sharing a recipe using one or more products from Suma’s product range. We’ll post the recipes on our blogs, and share them via Facebook, Twitter and a dedicated Pinterest board.

This month, I’m sharing a recipe using one of my all-time favourite ingredients and ‘super’ foods…. Blackstrap Molasses!

As you might know, Blackstrap is the dark, thick liquid that remains after sugar cane is processed to make refined sugar. While the end product – white sugar – has no nutritional value whatsoever, the molasses that gets left behind after extraction is literally brimming with nutrients. It’s rich in vitamin B6 and minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese and selenium. Historically, this byproduct of sugar production has been used to feed livestock, while humans consume the empty calorie, unhealthy white sugar. Crazy eh?

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Flavour-wise, Blackstrap is rich and bittersweet. To me, it has a liquorice-like flavour which, I guess, is one of those flavours that you either love or hate. If you have Blackstrap lurking at the back of your cupboard, then this recipe might just tempt you to dust off the jar and give it another try. The Blackstrap adds a wonderful depth of flavour and colour to these ginger cookies, but it’s not overpowering at all.

For the dry sweetener, you can use unrefined caster sugar or coconut sugar. I prefer the latter as it’s low GI (which helps to keep blood sugar levels balanced), plus it contains B vitamins and a range of minerals, including potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron. I also love its caramel-like flavour.

Feel free though to choose whatever sweetener suits your personal tastes and preferences. I prefer the coconut sugar cookies, ‘M’ prefers the cane sugar ones (which are slightly sweeter), and Lil’ L says he can’t really tell the difference and loves both!

These cookies have been tried and tested many times over with my family and friends, and they’ve received a big thumbs up from everyone. I’ve been asked numerous times for the recipe and my standard reply is ‘sure, I’ll post it on the blog’. Well, it’s high time I kept my promise! Here it is…

NOTE: Recipe updated 25 March 2019 to bring it into line with the ‘Gingerbread Cookies’ recipe in the Bit of the Good Stuff Cookbook

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Makes 12 cookies
Hands-on time: 15 minutes Ready in: 35 minutes

Ingredients
70g / ⅓ cup unrefined cane sugar or coconut sugar
50ml / ¼ cup organic rapeseed (canola) oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
65g / 3 TBSP black treacle (molasses) or Blackstrap molasses
22g / 1½ TBSP soya or almond milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
120g / ¾ cup & 2 TBSP fine wholemeal (whole wheat pastry) flour or chapatti flour
1 – 1½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ tsp salt

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan) / 400F. Line two baking sheets with non stick baking paper.

2. Place the sugar, oil, molasses, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth and fully combined.

3. Place the flour, spices, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a separate bowl and stir through. Tip half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl and stir to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and keep stirring until the mixture comes together in a firm dough.

4. Scoop slightly rounded tablespoons of dough and arrange six on each baking sheet. With damp hands, press the dough into a thin cookie shape.

5. Bake in the centre of the oven for 9 minutes, or until dry to the touch. (The cookies will still feel soft, but they firm up as they cool).

6. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets until they are firm, then use a thin spatula/slotted turner to remove them from the baking paper and transfer to a wire rack.

7. When completely cool, store in an airtight container where they will keep for a couple of weeks. They also freeze well. Leave at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes
Freshly baked, the cookies should be lightly crisp on the outside with a soft, chewy centre. They go softer and chewier over time, but are just as delicious!

I did a few trials with different quantities of Blackstrap. If you add more, the flavour is still amazing but the cookies spread a lot on the baking sheet and are flatter (‘M’ calls them ‘ginger coasters’!)

If you have any black treacle (aka molasses) leftover from Christmas cakes and puddings, you can use it in these cookies instead of the Blackstrap.

All TBSP mentioned in the recipe are level tablespoons.

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I just need to work out how to make a gluten-free version now, so no one misses out! Any tips from the GF experts would be greatly appreciated! 😉

Enjoy! xx

Are you a fan of Blackstrap molasses? If so, what’s your favourite way to use it?

Tag: Suma Bloggers Network

Crunchy Nut Apple Crumble (Vegan / Dairy-free) for Suma Blogger’s Network

Sweet Potato, Red Lentil & Coconut Curry

Gingerbread Cookies (Dairy-Free / Vegan)

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Disclaimer: I received some Suma’s products to use for recipe development but, as always, all opinions expressed are my own.